The BC SPCA Pet Survivor Care Program is possibly as low as it gets.
Posted Thursday, 19 June 2003, at 4:21 p.m.
The BC SPCA has instituted another marketing scheme, this one based on animal-lovers' fears for their pets' futures should the pets outlive them. All SPCA fundraising is slick and professional and some is not quite "accurate", but the Pet Survivor Care Program is possibly as low as it gets.
As you can read below, the plan gives special status for the pets of the wealthy.
That would be bad enough, but the state of SPCA "shelters" is so appalling that when a rescuer gets a dog or cat out of an SPCA, they say that they have rescued it "from" the SPCA. In fact, many people have told ASS that the dog or cat they have was "rescued" from an SPCA.
You can read more on how SPCA "shelters" themselves cause severe psychological and even physical distress in some dogs and cats. Burnaby SPCA's web page, "In Memory" describes how dogs die of psychological neglect at SPCAs *LINK*
http://www.animaladvocates.com/cgi-bin/newsroom.pl/read/2696
Is this the "secure and happy future" for surviving pets the SPCA is marketing?
What kind of screening of potential adoptors is the SPCA actually doing? Unfortunately, the SPCA is still selling dogs and cats and never bothering to check on them again in spite of its p.r. announcements to the contrary.
This marketing scheme is, sadly, indicative of the SPCA's continuing focus on the bottom line, not on animal welfare. It can float a marketing scheme like this without cringing with embarrassment and that indicates that the SPCA still does not understand why honesty is so important.
From the BC SPCA web site:
Helping Homeless Pets
How does the program work?
When the time comes, and the BC SPCA receives your surviving pets, we screen potential adopters to find the best possible match.
A special contract is signed, once a suitable adoptive owner is found. The contract outlines the type of care and the environment the new owner must provide. BC SPCA staff visit your pets on a regular basis to ensure your pets are happy and well-cared for.
How much does it cost and when do I pay?
Your donation not only provides for the services your pets will receive, but also helps the BC SPCA in our mission to improve the lives of animals throughout the province.
Providing for your Pets' Future without you
Your donation not only provides for the services your pets will receive, but also helps the BC SPCA in our mission to improve the lives of animals throughout the province.
The donation amount to enrol is based on the type of future care and service your pet will receive.
*There are three options, and substantial discounts apply when there is more than one pet:
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CUSTOMIZED PLAN:
Please note - all large animals (horses, donkeys, llamas etc.) are customized plans.
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SILVER PLAN:
keep updated files on your pets (while you are alive), detailing their medical history, personality, preferences, diet and your wishes for a future home;
GOLD PLAN:
Provide free lifetime medical coverage for each pet.
The BC SPCA designed the Pet Survivor Care Program to help pet owners like you provide a secure and happy future for their surviving pets. It is also a means to raise money to help our mission to prevent cruelty and find homes for abandoned and abused animals.
As a pet owner, you register your pets in the program, specifying the exact type of future home and the level of care you want for your surviving pets.
The program is structured so that you do no have to pay anything to register in the program during your lifetime. You either make a donation to the BC SPCA, either through your Will, through a charitable remainder trust, or by way of a life insurance policy, RRSP or RRIF. Part of your donation pays the costs the BC SPCA incurs in providing the specified services to your pets; the other part is a gift to the BC SPCA to help homeless animals.
The Pet Survivor Care Program
What are the options and how much does it cost to enroll?
The program is structured so that you do no have to pay anything to register in the program during your lifetime. You either make a donation to the BC SPCA, either through your Will, through a charitable remainder trust, or by way of a life insurance policy, RRSP or RRIF. Part of your donation pays the costs the BC SPCA incurs in providing the specified services to your pets; the other part is a gift to the BC SPCA to help homeless animals.
You tell us what you want for your pets and how much you can afford to pay through your estate (your Will, life insurance etc...). We'll try to develop a plan that meets your needs, the needs of your pets and your financial obligations to your family and friends.
The BC SPCA will:
provide temporary foster care for your pets in the event of your hospitalization or temporary incapacity.
work with you, your personal representative or your executor, to ensure that when the time comes, your pets are not left unattended;
provide interim care for your pets while they await adoption;
screen potential adopters and make a placement that is best suited to your pets;
send a BC SPCA employee to visit your pets in their new home in the first month after adoption and then every year for the rest your pets' life;
provide a foster home for your pets if a suitable adopter cannot be found in a reasonable time period.
Minimum Payment (Paid through your Will) - $25,000
All the benefits of the Silver Plan, plus the BC SPCA will:
Minimum Payment (Paid through your Will) - $75,000